John Carney delivers for New Orleans Saints

The fact that today's primary focus is the 46-year-old who stepped off the street and kicked three field goals in order for the New Orleans Saints to win is fairy tale-y, and fairly telling.

John Carney still is a good player and unquestionably is a better person. Heck, he's helping tutor the guy he's subbing for, Garrett Hartley, likely expecting to hand back over the job at some point this season, same as he did last year.

But he shouldn't have been a Saints hero Sunday, which he was in a 16-14 win over the Carolina Panthers at the Superdome.

OK. Hero might be a little much, considering the Saints' defense actually was pretty good save for a couple of big touchdown plays, including a stop on Carolina's final drive that included a 4-yard tackle for loss by Usama Young and a sack by Malcolm Jenkins.

But there's no doubt the margin was expected to be larger, should have been larger, could have been larger.

Two lost fumbles -- one at the Panthers' 1-yard line by Lance Moore and the other at Carolina's 23 by Chris Ivory -- probably cost New Orleans at least 10 points and helped put the Saints' defense in the position of having to make its final stand. And they put Carney in the position of having to kick the deciding points on a 25-yarder with 3:55 left.

"I'm happy to be a part of this team in any form or fashion," said Carney, in his third tour with the Saints, the most recent being the first 11 games of last season, when Hartley was suspended for the first four games and inactive the next seven.

"It would have been tougher had I not been with this team (last season). I know the personnel well, worked with these players."

But he hadn't worked with new holder Chase Daniel, the backup quarterback. Given that there were no apparent glitches on the game-winner or two successful 32-yarders, in the second and third quarters, expect Daniel to continue in that role at least until Hartley resumes the duties, and maybe after that, too.

That, though, was one of the few areas in which the Saints (3-1) were glitch-less.

Sure, credit the vanquished. The Panthers (0-4) didn't much resemble the team that had been plundered by an average score of 24-11 in their first three losses.

Rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen took a beating from the Saints but he wasn't awful while completing 11 of 21 passes for 146 yards and his first NFL touchdown, a 55-yarder to running back Jonathan Stewart. And Moore and Ivory didn't simply mishandle a ball that smacked against the thigh; each was punished when his fumble was caused.

"Those guys played hard, and these always go down to the fourth quarter," Coach Sean Payton said. "This is a big win. It's an (NFC South) division win at home." True, that.

True, this, too: The next thorough performance the Saints give this season will be their first. Carney was a highlight a week after not knowing whether he'd get a call this season, while the guys who've been around since OTAs and minicamps can't seem to find a consistent rhythm.

"He's just a pro," Drew Brees said of Carney. "That's all you can say. I've seen him do it many, many times. He's one of these very focused, very regimented guys. He's prepared for those situations all the time."

Said Carney: "You prepare every week for the pressure kicks. Most kickers, to be honest, would prefer (kicking) the extra points and a blowout."

That's precisely what most of us figured Carney would be doing against Carolina.

Yes, the smart money said he'd be active, given Hartley's troubles. The guy who kicked the Saints into the Super Bowl, then set a Super Bowl record with three field goals of at least 40 yards, hasn't picked up this season where he left off.

Hartley's three missed field goals in seven attempts are bad enough; the fact that one, a missed 29-yard attempt, helped prevent the Saints from beating Atlanta in overtime was too egregious to let slide without repercussion.

But the assumption was that Carney would be reeling off point-after attempts rather than kicking the Saints to a two-point win because the offense, which barely could be slowed last year, has crossed the goal line all of eight times this season.

"We are just trying to win each week," Payton said. "If you look back to the end of last season you will see a lot of hard-fought games, also."

And in fairness, it again must be acknowledged that this is some of what goes along with being a champion. Even the meek rise up, wanting to see how they rate while standing facemask to facemask with the champs.

The Panthers almost certainly would've felt a lot better about themselves if Carney had hooked one, or pushed it wide, or drilled it low enough to be blocked. None of that occurred, giving him the chance to bask after a win.

"I pray a lot," Carney said. "You try not to make the situation any bigger than it needs to be."

The Saints have won three of their first four, but overall the team seems to be in the midst of a situation. Fortunately, on Sunday, Carney wasn't a contributor to it.